Knowing
by SpellStorm
Summary: What if humans already knew about Aces? What if they were the superior race? How would Maggie and Caleb's story have been different?
1. Chapter 1

**Shelly Crane owns all things I don't come up with. And all the quotes from the book I may use.**

**Chapter One:**

School. Not my favorite place in the world, considering the current year. Oh, I used to love school like the loser I am, but after what happened at the end of the summer, all I really wanted to do every time my alarm went off was throw it across the room and burrow under my blankets.

But my dad, of course, would never let me do that.

"Maggie Camille Masters, get out of bed!"

I groaned and reluctantly rolled out from under the warmth of my sheet, thumping my feet on the floor and dragging them as I sludged to my closet. I dug around and pulled on my yellow graphic tee with two flowers drawn on the front and my dark-washed cropped jeans. I added a pair of sand-colored Havaianas Brazil flip-flops before scraping my messy brown hair back into a ponytail and walking downstairs.

My dad sat at the kitchen table, eating a plate of scrambled eggs. He pointed to the skillet on the stove, but I wrinkled my nose and pulled out a box of apple Toaster Strudel instead. Taking two out, I popped them into the toaster and cut the tops off the icing packs.

Dad laughed and shook his head, amused. "Of course. I don't know where you get your repulsion of eggs; I love them, and your mother-"

When he cut off, I shot a glance at him and saw the look in his eyes again. The look that used to scare me, but I got used to it.

The look of longing and pain.

Before I could say anything, there was a crackling sound and we both jumped. A mechanical voice came out of the speaker on the wall.

"_Please turn your TVs to the Channel 3 News. Thank you._"

I grabbed the remote and switched the kitchen TV on before hoisting myself up on the counter and taking a bite of my icing-coated goodness.

The regular reporter, Mandy Lee, sat behind the news desk in the studio, her smile wide and bright as she looked at the camera.

"Good morning, Tennessee, this is Mandy Lee with your morning news. But first, an announcement from Virtuoso council member Donald Watson."

The camera panned to Mandy's right to show the middle-aged man sitting beside her.

"Good morning, Mandy. Thank you for allowing me to interrupt your show," Donald said, his voice sounding a bit too sincere to me.

"It's not trouble at all, Mr. Watson!" Mandy said brightly with her usual peppy attitude. I wondered if she was like that all the time. "I hope everything is alright!" Her voice changed to concern.

Donald gave her a reassuring smile. "Everything is fine." He turned to the camera again. "This announcement pertains to the parents of all seniors attending Auburntown High School. The annual senior England Tour is coming up in March. Please remember to speak with your son or daughter's guidance counselor if you have any concerns regarding your child's safety. Extra precautions will be taken due to the _incident_ last year."

I scoffed. _Incident_. Two girls almost died because they got in a fight over who was going to talk to the male Ace that just happened to be eating at the same restaurant as them.  
>When the announcement was over I turned the TV off and finished getting ready.<p>

"Bye, Dad!" I called as I left the house.

"Be home for dinner!" he replied out of habit. I never went anywhere anymore besides work, and that was only three days a week.

As I began the trek to school, I found myself thinking about the Aces.

Aces - or Virtuoso, as is the formal title and what we're _supposed_ to call them - are a paranormal race that rules all us humans. They are, essentially, human, but they don't date. They _imprint_. The way they explain it is soul mates. Two souls see one another and decide they're meant to be together, so an imprint happens. Do I believe it? Not really. Do I want it to happen to me? Very much.

You'd think it'd be a curse, being tied to one person for the rest of your life, never being able to truly love anyone else. But for me, that sounds perfect. If that had happened for Dad, life would be a lot better.

At the end of the summer before my senior year, my mom left my dad and I, took all my college savings, moved to California, and hasn't called since. My dad was miserable for a long time, and still kind of is, but he only really sank into depression for about three days after she left. What brought him out of it: my 3-year boyfriend Chad breaking up with me. Chad had dumped me for the most popular girl at school, Ashley, only to get dumped himself when Ashley decided there was someone better. He'd begged me to get back together, said he'd made a mistake, but I refused. I'd already been hurt once; I wasn't about to let it happen again.

Oh, another thing about Aces: about two weeks after they imprint, they 'ascend', which basically means they hit a growth spurt and gain an ability. No two abilities are the same. Like snowflakes. And Aces _only_ imprint with other Aces.

Okay, I shouldn't say _only_, because it does happen to humans, but there are only three human imprints (or _significants_, as the Aces call them) in total.

Oh, and one more thing: Aces can't date.

I was so busy thinking that I didn't even notice I'd stopped walking and had been standing on a corner for at least two minutes. There was someone in front of me, although I couldn't see who it was, only that it was a guy listening to an iPod.

I sighed and glanced at my phone, seeing that it was already 7:30. School started at 7:45 and I still had several miles to go. Looked like I was going to be late again. Luckily, this part of town wasn't too busy in the morning. I don't even know why the red light has lasted so long. There are barely any cars, or people, around.

The walk light turned green and the boy began crossing the road, not even looking both ways first.

That's why he didn't see the truck coming.

Before I knew what I was doing, I leaped forward and grabbed the back of his jacket, yanking back with all my strength. The guy let out a surprised noise and fell backwards, right on top of me...

Just as the truck completed the turn and sped right over the spot the boy had been just a second before.

The guy scrambled to his feet, breathing hard, and yanked his earbuds out. He stared at me with wide blue eyes. I winced as I tried to stand; the fall had made me dizzy. He put out his hand and grabbed my jacket-clad arm, helping me into a sitting position before basically lifting me to my feet. He held on for a minute while I regained my breath (and balance).

He stared at me, amazed. "You just saved my life."

"I guess you could say that. But I didn't really do anything, I was just here," I said. I looked down at his hand, still on my arm, and could feel his warmth through my jean jacket. But then I saw something that made me freeze.

On his left wrist was a tattoo. It was a simple half circle, but I immediately recognized it.

It was the crest of one of the most successful Ace families, the Jacobsons.

I stared at the mark, knowing this changed everything, that this wasn't just some human life I'd just saved. This would be seen as a huge deed, something to be fawned over for. Saving an Ace was like saving Earth itself. People would be surrounding me with thanks. I'd be on TV for weeks.

And I would hate it.

I looked back up at him and saw the understanding in his eyes, telling me he knew I'd figured it out.

"Please, just leave it," I pleaded quietly. "It doesn't matter. I didn't think, I just reacted. Don't tell anyone."

He seemed a bit confused, but then his expression cleared a little and he got a strange glint in his eye.

"Okay," he agreed easily.

I eyed him, suspicious at how easy it had been.

"Okay," he repeated, "under one condition. Take a walk with me."

I was taken aback. "What?"

"You saved my life. I want to know more about you."

"I have school." Why was I arguing? Did I really want the publicity? No. So skipping school to go for a walk shouldn't be that big of a deal to me.

"You'll be excused. If you walk with me, no one has to know what happened. You don't have to worry about becoming famous all of a sudden."

It was blackmail, obviously. But why did he even want to know about me in the first place? What could he possibly get out of blackmailing a girl he barely knew?

So I agreed.

"Okay," I said.

He smiled brilliantly. "Great. Let's go." He began walking and, because his hand was still on my arm, I followed.

**Okay, so obviously there are plenty of changes in this story, but I'm trying to change it a little to involve characters who would otherwise be excluded due to the direction of this story.**  
><strong>I'll list some of the changes here (in no particular order):<strong>

**- You meet Donald Watson early. I needed an Ace, and I picked a Watson. Cause he's sneaky and way too sincere (except when he's not).**

**- Maggie's father is not depressed. Why? Because he needs to be aware in the later chapters. Stick around and you'll see what I mean. But please note that he **_**was**_** depressed for a little while, until Chad broke up with Maggie.**

**- Which leads me to my next point: the break up. It did happen, but it wasn't because Chad was pressured by his dad. It was because of a popular girl named Ashley.**

**- Which brings me to another point. Ashley, in this fan fiction, is a high school student (so is Maggie, that'll be my next point) because she has a huge Caleb-crush and since he doesn't go to a human college, he doesn't know her from there.**

**- Maggie is still a high school student, it's probably not going to be a huge deal, I really just needed somewhere for her to go.**

**- Maggie doesn't know Kyle. Again, Aces don't go to human schools.**

**- Last point of the chapter: humans can see Ace tattoos. That's the only way to discern Aces from humans. That, and they're amazingly beautiful (however you want to say it).**

**- I lied; this is the last point: Don't knock the announcement. I needed him to say something and that's all I could come up with. If you have any ideas, message me and I'll edit it in.**

**Please do me a favor and click on that oh-so-adorable button down below and leave me some love!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Again, all quotes belong to Shelly Crane. Some quotes may be altered to fit the storyline or just for the purpose of me wanting to switch things up. This chapter contains a passage from the first book that's almost exactly copied. Rights go to Shelly Crane.**

**Also, Kyle has a brother in this story (I needed a reason for something). Let's call him Alex.**

**Chapter Two: **

We walked in silence for a while before he finally spoke.

"What's your name?" he wanted to know.

I hesitated.

"Come on, I want to know the name of the girl who saved me."

"Maggie."

He waited for a last name but continued after I remained silent. "Well, Maggie Blank, I'm Caleb. I would tell you my last name but I'm pretty sure you can already tell by my tattoo." He peeked at me and saw me nod. "So how old are you? You're in high school, right?"

I nodded again. "I'm sixteen years old, a senior."

"A senior? At sixteen?"

I blushed a little. "I skipped eighth grade."

He smiled. "Aha. So, I was saved by a genius. This just keeps getting better."

I giggled. "I'm not a genius. I just used to like school. I loved tests. I know, I'm a freak, but that's me."

"'Loved'?"

"It's a long story. I had a bad year."

"You're not a freak, by the way." He leaned close and stage whispered to me. "I love to do geometry speed drills. _Love_ it."

I raised my eyebrows and opened my mouth in mock disbelief. "No way. That's crazy! Maybe you're the freak."

"Hey!"

At first I thought I'd crossed a line. You don't insult Aces, ever. It's an actual law. I looked up at him, the fear clear in my eyes.

He saw it and his face softened. "Don't worry; we're just joking, right? No harm done."

I nodded. No harm done. Thankfully.

He smiled again, beamed, actually, and my breath caught. He was amazing, and not just because he was an Ace (Aces naturally looked like models. I blame it on... well, there's nothing for me to blame it on. But still, I blame it on something). It was something different. I felt a strange pulling in my chest, near my heart, and my hands twitched, wanting my to run my fingers through his brown hair, swipe it off his forehead. But I didn't.

_What is wrong with me?_ I don't get all 'swoony' over a guy I barely know, even if he is an Ace. I'm not like other girls.

We continued walking and talking. Caleb asked me about important things, like my family and school, along with useless questions about my favorite foods and colors. Usually, I wouldn't be so open with someone, especially not on the personal things.

But I found myself opening up, telling him about my mom leaving, my dad's short depression and lingering pain, my older adopted brother, Bish, who lived in New York. I told him about Chad, about Ashley, and about my best friend Beck (Rebecca to everyone else) who'd stayed by my side through everything and who was the only person I hadn't pushed away.

It felt normal with Caleb. Everything with him felt right.

* * *

><p>Caleb pulled us to a stop in front of a two-story blue house and turned to me, reading the question in my eyes.<p>

"No, I don't live here. It's my cousin Kyle's house; I live two towns over. I'm here for his brother Alex's birthday."

I nodded in understanding. "It's nice."

He smiled at that. "Do you wanna come in? I know my mom would _love_ to thank you for saving the life of her only son."

I shook my head. "We had an agreement, remember? I take a walk with you and no one finds out about that. I don't want anyone fawning over me. You know I hate crowds." And he did: it was one of the things I'd told him earlier.

Caleb sighed. "Okay, no parents. At least come in for a drink. I'll just say I found you wandering the streets, delirious with thirst. She'll believe that."

I laughed. "You are so bad at coming up with cover stories. Even Beck wouldn't believe that, and she's pretty gullible. And don't you tell her I said that."

He smiled. "So I get to meet her?"

I realized what I'd implied and changed to subject, hoping he'd forget about it. "I've got to get to school. If I miss today, my dad won't let me go to work, and I can't let them down."

"I already texted my dad to call the school and have them give you an excused absence. You don't have to go to school, and your dad never needs to know you didn't."

"You told your dad about me?"

He frowned, and I wanted to wipe it off his face but restrained myself, barely. "Not really. I just told him I'd met a girl and I wanted to talk to her. He reminded me repeatedly about the Aces-Can't-Date law and agreed to call in. So you have nothing to lose by coming in for a quick drink. My aunt makes amazing lemonade," he goaded persuasively.

I shook my head again. "I should go. If I'm not in school I might as well get some studying done at the library."

He sighed. "If I can't convince you otherwise..."

I smiled apologetically. "I really need to study."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you around?"

"Maybe." I doubted he would. It didn't seem likely that he would be wandering around my neighborhood.

"Then until next time." He sighed dramatically and I laughed.

"Bye, Caleb," I said, and turned to go.

My foot caught on a crack in the sidewalk, sending me tumbling forward, arms flailing wildly as I braced myself for impact.

It never came.

Something grabbed my hand and stopped my fall. I knew in a moment it was Caleb. I could feel his warmth.

But that's not the only thing I experienced.

I felt an instant jolt go through my body that made me gasp.

Not like a girly wow-he's-touching-me jolt. I mean an actual jolt. It felt as if fire was racing through my veins. My breaths ceased to exist and my blood felt cold under my hot skin. My eyes fluttered automatically at the pleasure-pain of it. I saw images, flashes of things.

Me on a porch with tan arms going around me from behind and a brown-haired head sitting atop mine, then leaning down, kissing my neck.

Me running, someone chasing me but I wasn't scared. I was laughing. I looked back and a brown-haired boy was hot on my tail, grabbing me and throwing me over his shoulder as I squealed in delight. Behind them, a house with a for-sale sign but 'SOLD' was stamped over it, a moving truck parked next to it.

Then, a man and a woman took a walk through a lot of white sand. The man pricked a finger on a cactus as he swung his arms. I kissed his finger.

Then I saw me, right now, holding the hand of a tan, dark-haired boy. The look of pleasure and confused delight on my face was also on his. His eyes opened and he smiled at me like he understood everything, like _I _was everything.

I was jolted back to the present when my eyes saw what was actually in front of me and not a strange vision of happy times. I was still looking at Caleb's face. He was still looking at me but, just like in the vision, he was smiling, ecstatically

"It's you," he whispered in wonder. "You're the one."

Caleb pulled my hand until I was completely upright again, not just bracing myself on the ground with one hand, suspended between the sidewalk and Caleb by his hand. He framed my face in his hands. I felt a flood of calm spread through me like a wildfire.

"Breathe, Maggie," Caleb whispered from far away. I realized I'd been holding my breath and quickly let it out, blinking. My head cleared a little and the buzzing in my ears went away. He smiled. "Everything's going to be okay. Alright? Just don't be upset. You don't have to be scared."

My voice, when I finally spoke, was quiet. "What just happened?" I breathed out.

Caleb's smile widened until it was a full-on grin. It was sort of like staring straight into the sun.

"You're the one," he repeated.

"What does that mean?" I asked, my face still in his hands.

"It means it's you. You're my soul mate. You're my significant."

My heart stopped for a second before pounding so hard it almost hurt. I could've sworn I saw Caleb wince.

"You mean we just... imprinted?"

He nodded. "Our souls saw each other and connected. Now you're mine, and I'm yours. I thought they teach you this in school?"

"They do. But this doesn't happen to humans. Or at least, not often."

He nodded again. "That's true, it's not common. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. I think we just proved that."

I still couldn't believe it. "Are you sure?"

"The imprint doesn't make mistakes. You're my significant."

I fainted.

**Yay, chapter two is done! And both up in one day? Yeah, I'm awesome.**

**Just kidding, I wrote both of these in advance. But still, I rock, especially because I wrote them while taking care of a fake baby for Parenting class.**

**Review, please! That adorable little button loves you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**All goes to Shelly Crane.**

**Thanks to **ShadowGrace** and **Bookworm9940** for being my first reviewers.**

**Who has read 'Defiance'? Because it's freakin' amazing!**

**I got a battle wound!**

**Jk. At cheer on Monday, we were doing a new stunt and my flier, Logan, kicked her leg out as we were cradling and I somehow twisted around to the front of her and BAM! the bottom of her cheer shoe connected with the left side of my face. So now I have a sore, black and blue eye. Lovely.**

**If you don't know cheer talk, this should help:**

**A flier is the person in the stunt that the others are lifting up. Cradling is the part of a stunt when they throw the flier in the air and catch her.**

**Should I have Kyle be in love with Maggie or no? They obviously haven't met yet, but when they do, should he love her? I'm gonna have him seem maybe a little fascinated (for lack of a better word) for this chapter, but help me out, here!**

**I'm rambling now and this is turning into a super-long author's note so I'm gonna stop soon. Just one more thing. (Then PLEASE read at the end of the chapter cause I have something extremely important to ask!)**

**As you can see, I've changed my username. Why 'BreeTico', you ask? Because my older sister used to call me Chico before her friend thought she said 'Tico' (like the squirrel from 'Dora the Explorer), and now that's what she calls me. And 'Bree' because that's what everyone else calls me. Almost.**

**I've also been called 'Chika', 'B.P.', and 'Tree' (because we were messing around with 'T' names and 'Bree' became 'Tree'.**

**I loved my 3rd hour Drama class first semester. We were all insane.**

Chapter Three:

_"Why hasn't she woken up yet?"_

_"Be patient, honey."_

_"But maybe we should take her to the hospital. She could have a concussion!"_

_"Calm down, I'm sure she's fine."_

The voices were the first things I heard as I returned to consciousness. I felt something soft underneath me and realized I was lying down.

I shifted and the voices fell silent. My eyes fluttered open and I squinted in the sudden light. It was quickly blocked, though.

Caleb leaned over me, a look of pure concern on his face. When his eyes met mine we both sucked in a breath, staring like our lives depended on it. It felt like he was looking straight into me, like he was seeing exactly who I was and loving it.

"Maggie," he breathed. I closed my eyes, loving the sound of him saying my name.

The second voice interrupted the silence.

"Give her space, Caleb. She's probably hungry."

Caleb reluctantly moved aside to make way for a beautiful woman. She had the same exact hair color as Caleb.

"Hello, Maggie," she said happily. "I'm Rachel, Caleb's mom. And that means call me Rachel."

"Hi," I replied lamely.

Rachel grinned. Caleb had her smile, too.

"I bet you're hungry, sweetie. What would you like?"

"I'm fine. I don't want to trouble you -"

"Believe me, it's no trouble at all."

I glanced at Caleb and saw his nod. "Um... do you have honey buns?"

Rachel smiled. "Honey buns, coming right up. Would you like tea or something else?"

"Can I have a glass of white milk?"

"Of course." She got up and walked into what I assumed was the kitchen.

Caleb sat back down in the chair by the side of the couch I was laying on and took my hand. We both sighed at the contact.

"I was so worried," he breathed. I could hear the frustration and anxiety in his voice. Instinctively, my hand rose to touch his cheek. He let out a relieved breath as I felt the negative feelings flow out of him.

"What just happened?" I asked.

He smiled. "When significants touch each other, they can draw any negative feelings away. For example, just now, you drew my emotions away because you knew they weren't good. I can do it for you, too, any time you're upset or something."

I was awed. "They don't tell us that in school," I joked.

He chuckled, too, and then Rachel was back.

"Here you go, sweetie." She handed me a plate with two honey buns on it and handed Caleb a glass of milk.

I hadn't realized how hungry I was (not that it mattered, because I loved honey buns so much that even if I was full I would eat one) but I must have been starving, because I devoured those sticky treats in a minute. Then I drank all the milk to wash it down.

Rachel, sensing that Caleb wasn't about to move from my side again, pulled over another chair and sat down.

"So Maggie," she began brightly. "Tell me about yourself."

"Mom!" Caleb complained. "Not now. She just woke up. Give her some time before you bombard her with questions."

"Oh, all right," Rachel sighed. "Now, Peter has already excused you from school for the day, so you don't have to worry about going. Caleb said you needed to study?" I nodded. "Well, instead of trekking all the way to the library, why don't you just do it here? You can use Caleb's laptop, and there are several of us here. I'm sure someone knows the answers to whatever you can't find."

"Mom!" Caleb protested again, but I could see - and feel - the hope that I'd say yes and stay.

So I agreed.

"That'd be great."

Rachel beamed. "Let me go get the laptop." She left once again, this time heading up the stairs that were to my right.

Caleb gave me an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry about all this," he apologized. "She's usually not like this. It's just a really big thing, and she's excited. I've actually never seen her this worked up before. It's weird. But a good weird."

"It's fine, Caleb," I said. He closed his eyes and sighed when I said his name.

Then I recalled something his mom had said and my heartbeat started speeding up. Caleb looked pained, but I ignored it for the more pressing inquisition.

"Your mom said 'there are several of us here'. Who else knows about this?"

But I didn't get an answer. Caleb looked uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" I asked, faintly remembering earlier, when he'd said we'd imprinted and my heart was beating hard, how I'd seen him wince.

"Nothing, just..." He trailed off and grabbed my hand. Instantly I felt all my panic rush out of me and both of us sighed in relief. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Caleb. What was that?"

He sighed. "Because we're significants, I can... feel your heartbeat in my chest."

I stared at him. "What?"

In answer, he grabbed my hand and held it up to his chest, just to the right of where his heart would be. I felt an insistent thumping and my eyes widened, heart speeding up once again. At the same time, the beat I felt went faster.

"Oh," was all I said.

He nodded. "To answer your first question, though: there are a few of my family here right now. Not many," he added when I panicked, "just some of the people who live here, plus my mom, my sister, and my niece."

"How many?" I whispered.

He hesitated. "Including me... six."

I sucked in a breath and nodded. It wasn't that I hated people - I didn't, not at all, and six wasn't even a huge crowd - but this meant there were six, possibly seven, people who knew about the imprint. And from what I knew about the Jacobson family, there were a lot more people that were going to find out.

Rachel came back in the room with a laptop in her hands. Another tall, young woman with matching brown hair and blue eyes followed behind her.

"Here you go, sweetie," Rachel said, handing me the device. She motioned to the other woman. "This is Jen, Caleb's sister. Jen, meet Maggie."

Jen smiled softly at me. "Hello, Maggie."

A little face peered around Jen's legs, then quickly pulled back again when it saw me. Jen looked down to where I was staring and rolled her eyes. "Come out, Maria."

The face appeared again, this time followed by a little girl's body. She stood next to Jen shyly, and I couldn't help but notice she looked different from the other Jacobson's I'd met. She had the same round face and tan skin, but her eyes were a dusty green color, and her hair was a shade of auburn. **(I don't know if Maria is ever described, but this my version of her. Also, I know Maria's a little more shy, but there's a reason.)**

Jen nudged the girl. "Say hello to Maggie."

"Hello to Maggie," the child repeated softly.

I smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you, Maria. That's a really pretty dress." It was a dark pink with hearts printed along the hem. The bottom was light pink, with spaghetti straps tied in bows to match.

"Thank you," she replied, then turned and pounded back up the stairs.

Jen sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing you did, Maggie," she assured me. "Maria's just a bit... sensitive, about meeting people." I sensed there was a hidden meaning behind that but let it go.

"Jen is a history major, so if you need any help, she's the one to go to," Rachel informed me. "Everyone here has majored in some subject or another so I think we've got you covered."

"Thank you, Rachel," I said. She smiled before leaving the room. Jen went upstairs, in search of Maria, I figured.

Caleb turned the laptop on and logged in before placing it on my lap. "I'll be right back." He stood and walked into another room, returning a minute later with my school bag in hand. "Here you go," he said, setting it at my feet as I turned and sat up with my back against the back of the couch. He ignored the chair this time and instead took a spot next to me. "So what's the subject here? Science, English, History..." He gave me a strange smile. "Geometry speed drills?"

We both cracked up at that. When I finally settled down, I turned to him and smiled. "Sorry, no. I have an English paper due. It's a book review of any book I've read this year."

"What book did you pick?"

"Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I love this series. Bish read it last year and kept nagging me until I agreed." **(True story: except it was my friend. I'm on the second book now. Also, the book review idea came from my own English class. I'm only a sophomore, I don't know what the genius seniors do!)**

"Really? I read that a few years ago. I agree, it's pretty dang good."

We grinned at each other before I turned back to the screen and logged into my Google account. Clicking on Google Docs, I selected the correct document and began typing.

I worked for a while, Caleb giving his input whenever I got stuck. I was finished in no time, and when I saved my final draft, Caleb got it from the printer while I submitted it to my teacher on .

I was shocked at how easy it was to be around Caleb, to joke and laugh and tease. I'd only known him for less than a day, and he was an Ace, for crying out loud! This was someone I'd been taught to respect my entire life, and there I was, acting like he was just another human!

Nevertheless, I wasn't about to complain. There was something about Caleb Jacobson - something more than the imprint - that made me feel whole. It was like my soul had always known his, and my whole life I'd just been waiting for the moment we would meet.

* * *

><p>"Caleb!" I heard someone shout from the second floor. We both looked up from the YouTube video we were watching to see a tall teenager maybe a year or two younger than me thumping down the stairs. "Where's your-" He cut off when he saw me. "Oh, sorry."<p>

"It's okay, dude," Caleb replied. He turned to me. "Maggie, meet one of my cousins, Alex. Alex, this is Maggie. My significant."

Alex blinked at me. "Seriously? I thought Aunt Rachel was kidding." He walked over to us and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

I was a little worried about shaking his hand, replaying the imprint between Caleb and me in my head, but I told myself I was being stupid and took the offered hand. "You, too."

There was more thumping on the stairs and another teenager appeared, this one looking closer to my age.

"Yo, Alex, what's the hold-up? Did you get the keys?" Like Alex, he stopped when he noticed me. "Who's this?"

"Kyle, meet my significant, Maggie."

Kyle stared at me for a minute. I squirmed uncomfortably.

"Kyle, dude, cut it out. You're freaking her out," Caleb said.

Kyle blinked and shook his head. "Sorry." He held out his hand for me to shake.

After I did, he turned to Alex. "So, you got 'em or not?"

"Not yet. Didn't have a chance to ask with you bounding down here after only a few seconds."

Kyle groaned and turned to Caleb. "Hey, man, can we borrow your ride? Alex's is in the shop and Dad drove mine to work because Aunt Alexandra needed his truck."

"Sure," Caleb agreed easily. He fished a keychain out of his pocket and tossed it to Alex. "But Alex drives."

"Hey!" Kyle protested.

"It's his birthday tomorrow. Either he drives or you don't get it."

Kyle gave in. "Fine." He left the room and went down the hallway to what I could only assume was the garage door.

Alex smiled at me. "It was nice meeting you, Maggie," he said before following his brother out.

It was silent for a moment after they left.

"Wanna finish watching these idiots blow things up?" I asked finally.

Caleb grinned and clicked play.

* * *

><p><strong>Press that little button down below, please! Review make me feel happy on the inside!<strong>

**This is what I have to ask:**

glasgowgirl** is a really good writer, but her Twilight fanfiction, **Deja Vu**, isn't getting many reviews. And by that, I mean that I'm the only one reviewing. I don't know if no one's reading it or if they're just too lazy to review, but this story deserves some attention! Please go read it and review. I don't read a lot of Twilight stuff, but this one's good. It's about if Alice was still human and moved to Forks (takes place after Breaking Dawn so it includes Renesmee). She has visions of someone but doesn't really realize they're visions. Please read it!**

**I know this chapter was probably partially random and extremely OOC, but cut me some slack. I'm reading the second **Inheritance Cycle** book,** Eldest**, and it's SO GOOD! Plus, high school is rough. I'm just saying. Have you ever had an online class, online discussion, current event, flashcards, geometry review and test, and a Parenting project that includes research, a PowerPoint presentation, and a Guided Notes packet due? Cause that's my high school existence right now. Not to mention 2 hours of cheer practice on Mondays and babysitting on Tuesdays and Thursdays.**

**The next update should be soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

****This author's note will be shorter than my last.  
><strong>**

****All rights go to Shelly Crane.  
><strong>**

****Characters will most likely be OOC (as in any fan fiction).  
><strong>**

****Alex Jacobson belongs to me (first name, not last).  
><strong>**

****ShadowGrace: Alex is Kyle's brother. He's my character. I needed there to be a reason for everyone being at Kyle's house (Alex's birthday), and I didn't want to use Kyle (for reasons later on).  
><strong>**

****Enjoy!****

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Chapter Four:<br>****

It came time for me to go home. The school day was nearing an end and I was a ways from my neighborhood. I didn't want to take any longer than I usually did and cause my dad to worry.

I received a hug from Rachel and Jen, a shy wave and soft 'bye' from Maria, and 'see ya's from Kyle and Alex, who had returned from wherever they had gone minutes before I had to leave. Caleb led me out of the house after grabbing his keys from Alex. He'd told me he had a convertible, which just so happened to be my favorite kind of car.

But what he led me to wasn't a car. It was a sleek, black motorcycle. I looked at Caleb in confusion and he laughed.

"I wasn't lying. This is as convertible as you get!"

I joined in his laughter and donned the helmet he handed me. He stored my book bag beneath the seat and helped me on behind him. When he started the bike, I instinctively wrapped my arms around him and snuggled into his back.

We didn't speak on the way to my house, although Caleb did demonstrate the mini microphones and speakers built into the helmets.

When we stopped, Caleb got off the bike and helped me stand, removing my helmet. He softly brushed a chunk of bangs out of my face and smiled slightly when I shivered.

"Is your dad home?" he asked.

"He should be," I breathed in reply.

"Can I come in?"

I realized what he wanted. "I don't know..."

"Please? You've met my mom, my sister, my niece, and two of my cousins. Can I at least meet your dad?"

I swallowed hard. "Okay."

Caleb took my hand to provide comfort as we walked to the front door. As I'd expected, it was unlocked.

"Mags? That you?" my dad called when I opened the door.

"Yeah!" I yelled back.

I could hear his footsteps approaching the entry hall and panicked.

Or, I would have panicked, if I could. With Caleb holding my hand, all those feeling immediately swept out of my body in a rush.

"How was... school?" The question ended slowly as my dad rounded the corner. The first thing he saw was Caleb standing on my right. The next thing, Caleb's fingers interlocked with mine. And third, he noticed Caleb's Ace tattoo.

"Mags? What's going on?"

I tried to speak, but I couldn't get past the lump in my throat.

"Maggie!"

Oh, crap. My dad rarely called me Maggie. Whenever he did, I knew he meant business.

I swallowed down the lump. "Caleb, this is my dad, Jim Masters. Dad, this is Caleb Jacobson."

My dad's eyes widened when he heard Caleb's last name. "And what is an Ace doing here?"

I couldn't answer that; I didn't know what to say.

Luckily, Caleb saved me.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Masters." He held out the hand that wasn't in mine. When my dad didn't shake it, he continued. "You're daughter is pretty amazing."

"Is that right?" my dad asked.

"Yes, sir. She saved my life."

That got my dad. He snapped out of the "Why is my daughter holding the hand of some guy I've never met, and an Ace, nonetheless" mode and looked at me.

"Is that true, Mags?" he asked. Yay, the nickname was back.

I nodded.

"How?" This was directed at Caleb.

"I almost walked out in front of a truck. Maggie pulled me back."

"Well, I'm glad. Now what's with all... this," my dad finished lamely, gesticulating at our joined hands.

"Ah, that part. Well, after Maggie saved my life, I wanted to get to know her. So we went for a walk, and when we reached my cousin's house, she said she needed to go to the library and study. But before she could leave, she tripped. I grabbed her hand to keep her from falling and... we imprinted."

My dad froze. I could almost see the wheels in his head working overtime, trying to figure out what this meant.

Then he realized.

"Are you saying...?" he started.

I nodded. "We're significants."

Dad took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It amazed me, how he seemed to be taking this.

"Alright," he said. "Alright, so you're significants. What exactly does this mean?"

"Well, it means that our souls chose each other. And that we need to be together most of the time." I let Caleb take this one. Instead, I watched my father's face as he took in all the information.

When Caleb finished, my dad took another deep breath. "So does this mean there'll be a news story?"

My eyes snapped up. "What do you mean, news story?" I turned to Caleb. "What news story?"

Caleb gripped my hand to calm me down. "Before imprinting became a rare occurrence, there would be a news story every time someone found their significant. But I know how you feel about being the center of attention, so I'm not going to subject you to that. I've already made my mom swear she won't call in about this. No one has to know all at once."

Just then, his cell phone buzzed. He slid it out of his jeans pocket and glanced down. He let out a groan.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He sighed. "Apparently, my mom wants to spread the news pretty fast. She's told my whole family, and they want to meet you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I squeaked.

Dad decided to interfer.

"How about Saturday?" he suggested. "Mags has school tomorrow, and she'll be tired afterwards."

Caleb nodded. "Perfect." He typed on his phone for a minute and then placed it back in his pocket. "Mom also said that Alex offered to let you come to his birthday dinner tonight. In tradition, he, Kyle, and I usually go to a small diner in my hometown and get dinner. He wants you to come."

"Me?"

He nodded.

I turned to Dad. "May I?" I asked.

He sighed. "Go ahead. I've got a work dinner tonight, anyway."

I smiled at Caleb. "Then I'd love to."

He grinned back at me. "I'll come pick you up in a half hour, then. I've got to head back to Kyle's and change."

I walked him to his bike. After he got on, he turned to me.

"Wait, I forgot," he said.

"What?"

"I can't go. You have to tell me to leave."

"Why?" That confused me.

"It's something that happens until we ascend. Since we're newly imprinted, it's our souls want assurance that we'll return to each other."

I still didn't get it, but I let it go for the time being.

"Caleb, I want you to go to Kyle's house and get changed, then come pick me up in a half hour."

Caleb sighed. "I'll see you in a bit." He leaned forward and kissed the tip of my nose. His bike's engine roared as he sped down the road and was gone.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Review, please! Sorry for the wait, the family laptop is being idiotic. And also, sorry for the short chapter. Spring Break steals my imagination! <strong>**

****And that made no sense.****


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm baaaaaack! With a new chapter!**

**Again, I apologize for the last update, I know it was shorter than usual. I kept getting distracted by the TV.**

**Anyway, on with the chapter! I don't own except for the things not recognizable from the books!**

**Also, not the my updates are regular right now, but they'll probably get a little slower. My life is chaos. High school does not agree with me. Plus, I'm just now getting back into writing my first novel, Lost & Found, which I started in November and barely have four chapters of. Among other things, like just finding out we're moving to North Carolina at the end of the school year for my dad's new job. And that my older sister, who's in college, isn't coming.**

**Now let's get on with this!**

**Chapter Five:**

Twenty-nine minutes later, I was ready.

I wasn't completely sure what to wear, so I decided on a casual dress. After spending fifteen precious minutes practically tearing my closet apart, I settled on a navy blue American Eagle sundress with thick straps. I paired it with my sand-colored sandals that had dark brown twisty straps.

With my remaining fourteen minutes, I straightened my long brunette hair and added a single navy blue flower on the right side.

I finished just in time. As I was stuffing my wallet, cheap Motorola cell phone, and my house key in my blue-and-white Vera Bradley hipster, I heard the doorbell and the sound of the front door opening. Muffled but audible voices floated up to me. Although I couldn't make out words, I could tell, from my dad's strained tone, that it was more than just Caleb down there. I quickly grabbed my bag and slung it over my head while opening my bedroom door and padding down the stairs as fast as I dared to go.

In the living room, I saw what was making my dad stressed. On the couch sat three Aces: Caleb, Kyle, and Alex. My dad sat across the room in his favorite recliner. They all looked up when I entered and I felt my cheeks start to burn.

At the same time, my breath seem to catch in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

Caleb stood up immediately and came to me, reaching his hand out for mine. When our skin touched, the choking feeling vanished, leaving only satisfaction and contentment. I realized, then, that the cause of my discomfort was due to seeing Caleb for the first time after a half hour apart.

"Hey," he said, smiling.

"Hey yourself," I replied, mimicking his expression.

"Hey, Maggie!" I heard come from the couch.

I peered around Caleb to see Kyle and Alex waving at me. I blushed, realizing I'd been staring at Caleb like an idiot ever since I entered the room.

"Hi," I returned, hiding behind my hair.

My dad cleared his throat, getting our attention. "So where is this place you're taking my daughter to?" He may have been uncomfortable being in the same room with three Aces before, but now he was in complete protective Dad mode.

Alex answered. "Just a small diner two towns over. It's a tradition for the three of us."

"And how late will you be out?"

"It takes about twenty-five minutes to get there, and we'll probably stay for at least forty-five minutes, and then the twenty-five minute drive back, so..."

"An hour thirty-five minutes," Kyle chimed in.

"Hmph," my dad grunted. "Okay, then. But Maggie has school tomorrow, so don't keep her out any later."

"Of course, sir," Caleb agreed.

The five of us walked to the door and Dad gave me a hug. "Remember, Mags," he whispered in my ear. "If any of them do anything, kick them-"

"Dad!" I complained. "No!"

He laughed and pulled back. Alex and Kyle had already exited the house and were standing by a black truck, play fighting. Alex had Kyle in a headlock.

Dad looked at Caleb. "You keep her safe, young man," he warned.

"Of course, Mr. Masters. Nothing will happen to her," Caleb promised.

"Call me Jim."

Caleb nodded again and helped me get my jacket on and took my hand as we walked to the truck.

"Knock it off, you two," he said to the scuffling brothers. The two separated and climbed into the front of the truck, Alex behind the wheel. Caleb helped me into the backseat.

"So, Mags," Kyle said with a mischievous grin, looking back at me as we started down the street. "Got a boyfriend?"

"Kyle!" Caleb exclaimed as I blushed. "Leave her alone."

"It's okay," I said. "No, I don't have a boyfriend. Not right now."

"So you did have one." I nodded. "Did you just dump him?"

Caleb groaned in exasperation, but I refused to be bothered by Kyle. "No, we broke up this past summer. And no one _dumped_ anyone."

Alex let out an "Ooooh, burn!", Caleb laughed, and Kyle smiled good-naturedly before hitting me with another question.

The drive to the diner went by quickly and soon we were piling out of the truck. I looked at the sign.

"Muggly's," I read out loud.

"The only place to go for the best barbecue around!" Kyle crowed. **(I feel like I'm talking about a rooster when I use that word.)**

The boys led me to the entrance and ushered me inside. We were greeted by an older woman with a kind smile.

"Well, hello, boys!" she greeted. "I've been waiting for you to show up. Happy Birthday, Alex." Then she saw me and her grin widened. "And who is this beautiful young lady?"

"This is Maggie," Caleb introduced. "Maggie, this is Miss Amy, the owner of Muggly's."

"It's nice to meet you," I said.

"It's nice to meet you, sweetie," Miss Amy replied. She turned and led us to a booth in the back of the diner.

**(I would describe what happened, but I'm kind of lazy right now, so basically: Caleb and Maggie held hands and reveled in one another's emotions, Kyle told jokes that made Maggie blush, and Alex inquired about almost every detail of Maggie's life, during which Caleb listened intently to her answers. The rest you can imagine yourself; I have no imagination at the current moment.)**

After the long drive back, Caleb dropped Kyle and Alex off at their house before continuing on to mine. My dad opened the door as we approached.

"So how was it?" he asked when we had stepped inside.

"Great!" I exclaimed. "We went to this little diner called Muggly's. They have the best barbecue there!"

Dad and Caleb both chuckled at my enthusiasm.

"Well, it's true!" I insisted.

They only laughed harder.

Then Caleb sobered up suddenly. I felt anxiety and nervousness trying to well up in him, but because he still had a hold on my hand, the emotions were swept away before they could fully imprint.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Maggie, can I speak to your dad for a moment?"

I looked between the two of them. "Okay," I said slowly, drawing out the _a_.

They moved into the living room and shut the door behind them. I waited a moment before going and pressing my ear against the wood, hoping Caleb wouldn't sense me there. There was no way I was leaving the two of them alone. Who knew what my dad would say?

"... think it'd be best if I stayed," Caleb was saying.

_Huh?_

"How bad will it be if you don't?" From my dad.

A sigh. "Hard to tell. It really depends on how fast I can get here in the morning. But Maggie is human. It's going to be a hell of a lot worse for her because of that."

A long pause, and then: "Alright. But not in her room. You both stay in here, on the couch with the door wide open. My room is right down the hall."

Apparently there was some kind of silent agreement because both got up. I hurriedly tiptoe-ran into the kitchen and managed to fill a glass with milk just before they entered.

"Alright, Maggie," my dad said. "There are going to be rules for tonight. Number one: you sleep on the couch. Number two: the door stays open all night. And number three: there's no way you're getting out of missing school again tomorrow. So you better get up and be ready on time." Then he turned around and left, heading down the hall. I heard his bedroom door shut.

I looked at Caleb. "What the heck is he talking about?" I asked.

Caleb looked a bit nervous but answered immediately. "There's something you need to understand. As you've already said you know, significants have to be with each other. If they don't touch, they're both miserable."

"I know that."

"Well, you don't know that they're both miserable because their bodies need each other. Not in an intimate way, but their skin needs to touch. And if you're not touching at night - especially the first few nights - you get withdrawls in the morning."

"So wait. If we don't touch while we sleep, I'll get withdrawls from not touching you?"

"I know it sounds crazy but I swear I'm not lying."

It dawned on me.

"So that's why we're sleeping on the couch."

He nodded, seeming wary of my reaction.

I downed the rest of my milk and placed the glass in the sink after rinsing it out. "Okay. I'll be right back."

I went up to my room and changed into my normal bed attire: a plain white thick-strap tank top over a plain white sports bra paired with a pair of my fruit sleep pants. Tonight the print was bananas.

After brushing my teeth and brushing out my hair, I went to the living room.

Caleb had found some blankets and spread them out onto the couch. When I entered the room - making sure to leave the door wide open - I immediately grabbed his hand, calming his racing heart, and pulled him down with me as I lay on the couch, right next to me.

A moment of silence passed before either of us spoke.

"Is this okay?" he whispered softly.

I said nothing at first, just maneuvered myself so I lay more tucked against his side..

"Perfect," I finally replied.

And although I couldn't see it, I knew he was smiling.

* * *

><p><strong>So there you have it. A sweet chapter with everything: sweetness, cuteness, nervousness, embarrassment, and all the rest!<strong>

**Again, I seriously apologize for the inconstant updates. I try my best, but my life has been hitting a lot of crap lately and some huge changes are being made, and I'm just trying to push through it all.**

**Plus I've got finals next week. Oh, joy.**

**Review, please!**


	6. Chapter 6

****Okay, so I've decided to do something a bit different when I have notes about something. I got this from another fanfiction. When there's a note to be made, there will be a number next to or near it. At the end of the chapter, there will be a list of numbers, and next to them will be the note corresponding to that specific number. Make sense? If not, you'll catch on. Hopefully.  
><strong>**

****I know this is late! But I can't help it. It's summer and my brain is melting! It's been so hot down here (North Carolina) and all we've been doing is painting and being grumpy because of the heat.  
><strong>**

****Also, I don't swear, so neither do my characters.  
><strong>**

**The line breaks aren't working, so whenever it says _~Knowing~_, it's a break.**

****Enough of that. An idea from this chapter comes from ShadowGrace, so everyone needs to be nice and thank her like I am. I was seriously stuck. Thank you!  
><strong>**

****Anyway, I don't own anyone but Alex.  
><strong>**

****Enjoy!****

****_~Knowing~_  
><strong>**

Chapter Six:

"... so I'm going to Ritter's for ice cream after school and you're coming if I have to drag you kicking and screaming." (1)

I blinked as I tuned back into Beck. "Yeah, sure. Sounds fun."

She looked at me weird. "Are you okay? You're acting funny."

Immediately I panicked. "What do you mean?" Did she notice something that I didn't? Had the imprint somehow changed me?

"You just agreed to hang out after school."

"Yeah?" Now I was confused.

"You _never_ want to hang out anymore."

That made more sense. "I guess I'm just feeling better about everything. Who knows, maybe all I needed was a day away from stress."

"Well, good. It was getting ridiculous." Which was Beck's way of saying she'd been worried I wouldn't fully recover.

Then I remembered something. "Wait."

"What?"

Our Government teacher gave us an "at least look like you're working" look and we got out our books to start our worksheets. (2)

"Why'd you say wait?" Beck whispered.

I wrote down a few answers before replying. "I already have plans."

"With?"

"With a friend."

"What friend?"

She wasn't going to give up until I told her more. I sighed. "Just a friend I've known for a little while." More like a day. "It's his cousin's birthday today."

"Well, he can come, too."

"I guess I can ask."

"Ask now! Go to the bathroom and call him."

I knew she wouldn't leave me alone until I did. I sighed. We got up and asked our teacher for permission to use the bathroom. He eyed us suspiciously but let us go.

Once in the bathroom, Beck checked that all the stalls were empty before pulling us into the big one at the end of the row.

"Call him," she demanded.

I rolled my eyes but pulled out my cheap Motorola cell phone. (3)

That morning, I'd woken up feeling amazing. Caleb and I had been in the same position we'd fallen asleep in. I'd never felt more awake and alert in my life. After a breakfast of pancakes - courtesy of Caleb, while I'd taken a shower - he'd gotten a text from his mom to get back to Alex's house ASAP. He'd been apologetic, claiming he'd been planning to take me to school. I told him it was fine, that it wasn't even close to the end of the year and there were plenty of other days. He smiled at me and entered his number in my phone, and mine in his, before kissing the tip of my nose and leaving.

Now I pressed Speed Dial #1 and held the phone to my ear. (4)

It rang only twice before he picked up.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? I didn't feel anything. Do you need to be picked up?" (5)

"Caleb," I cut him off. I saw Beck's eyes widen as she took in the new bit of information. "Relax. I'm perfectly fine."

"Then why are you calling? You should be in class."

"I know. I'm in the bathroom." I paused. "That sounded so gross."

He laughed. "I know what you mean. So why did you call? Miss me too much?" he joked.

"Actually, yes. But that's not why I called. I know we were gonna meet up after school, but Beck wants me to go out for ice cream at Ritter's. Wanna come?"

"Of course I do," he replied. "Should I meet you there?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, then. I'll be there."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"Bye, Maggie."

I ended the call and gave Beck a look. "There. You happy? He's coming."

"_Caleb's_ coming," she restated.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, his name is Caleb."

"And the cousin you mentioned?"

"I don't know why it matters, but his name is Alex. Now come on!"

_**~Knowing~**_

"So what does this mystery boy look like?" Beck asked that afternoon as we sat in her car. She scanned the parking lot of Ritter's Frozen Custard through her designer sunglasses.

I sighed. "Why do you need to know? You'll see him when he gets here."

"Because I want to see him first."

"Well, it doesn't matter. He's pulling in now."

Caleb's black truck - because he had a motorcycle _and_ a truck - turned into the lot and slid into the space beside ours. My heart beat faster just at the sight of the vehicle, speeding up so fast it was physically painful.

Before Beck could reply I was out of her SUV and in Caleb's arms. We both sighed at the skin-on-skin contact and just stood there for a moment silently. Then he pulled back and looked into my eyes.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." (6)

He glanced over my shoulder. "Hello."

I turned to see Beck, an expectant look on her face. A look that said "We are talking about this later, missy. This friend is hot".

Yes, I could tell what she was thinking by just a look. When you've known someone for years, it's easy.

"Beck," I began, "this is Caleb. Caleb, my friend -"

Beck cleared her throat.

"_Best_ friend, Beck," I amended.

"Nice to meet you," Caleb said, offering his hand.

Beck took it. "Nice to meet _you_," she replied. Her tone was, clearly, flirty.

I had the sudden urge to grab her hand out of Caleb's and slap her across the face, which scared me. Beck was my best friend. I'd never wanted to cause her harm before, physical or otherwise, and these feelings were causing me anxiety. I quickly latched my hands onto Caleb's other arm and felt the emotions drain away.

I saw the look on Beck's face and tried to play off my action by slipping an arm through one of Caleb's and the other through one of Beck's.

"Come on. It's hot out. Let's get some frozen custard!" And I pulled them towards the small, round building. (7)

While Beck ordered and payed for her choice, Caleb and I stood a little ways back, perusing the menu.

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"I don't know," he replied. "Jen and I stop by here sometimes. We usually share a Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae."

"Mmmm, that sounds good," I murmured.

"Wanna share one?" he asked.

I considered for less than a second. "Sure!"

Caleb smiled and placed our order.

Beck's eyes widened as we approached the picnic table she'd picked. She eyed my empty hands, the sundae Caleb carried, and the two spoons sticking out of the plastic cup.

"That looks good," she commented as we sat down. "And huge."

"That's why it's best to share one of these monsters." Caleb handed me one spoon. "Would you like to do the honors?"

I smiled and scooped some ice cream, depositing it in my mouth. "Mmmm, this is sooo good!" I exclaimed.

Caleb ate a scoop and smiled, too. "I agree."

Beck watched us for a minute before launching into a flurry of questions directed at Caleb. I knew better than to interfere. She would eat me alive if I did. It'd happened before. I learned to stay out of it. (8)

_**~Knowing~**_

"Mags! Becky!" (9) a high-pitched, oh-I'm-gonna-pretend-we're-BFFs-even-though-you're-losers voice sang out. We both looked up and saw a tall, skinny, tan girl with fake-blonde hair wave at us and start over.

"Oh, yay. The Ice Queen is gracing us with her presence," Beck muttered. to Caleb, she added, "No matter what she says, she's not nice. Ignore her. You'll thank me for it."

Again I felt a surge of jealousy hit me, but I shoved it away, brushing Caleb's hand with mine as I reached for my spoon.

Our high school's queen witch, Ashley Slate (10), strutted over to us in her outrageously tall high heeled sandals and super-short imported silk and lace tiered dress. She was followed closely by her newest "boyfriend".

"Oh my gosh, I didn't know you'd be here!" Ashley exclaimed in her annoying voice.

"Hi, Ashley," Beck and I muttered.

Ashley eyed Caleb, and I felt the urge to smack her. Well, at least _that_ was normal.

"Who's this?" she asked in a too-sweet voice.

I took a deep breath and smiled tightly. "This is Caleb. Caleb, meet Ashley Slate, our school's head cheerleader and prom queen three years in a row." (11)  
>Caleb nodded but didn't attempt to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ashley."<p>

Ashley plopped herself down on Caleb's right. "Same, of course," she giggled. Then she looked at Curt, her "boyfriend". "Get me a small scoop of vanilla." He walked off without a word.

Before Ashley could say anything more, her iPhone beeped. She looked at it. "Oops, I have to go." She stood up. "It was nice meeting you, Caleb," she said in that sickly-sweet voice. "Bye, girls!" she added at us and then walked to her car. I saw Curt get in with her order and they sped off.

I let out a sigh of relief. "She annoys me so much."

"Me, too," Beck said.

Caleb's phone buzzed. He looked at it and groaned. "Crap. I forgot: family dinner tonight. Everyone's coming. Mom wants me to help Aunt Kelly set up." He stood and held out a hand to help me up. "Want me to drive you back home?"

I glanced at Beck.

"I've gotta be home soon," she said. "Family night."

Every Friday night, Beck's parents had "family night", a night where they ate homemade pizza, played games, watched movies, and just hung out together. (12) I'd never had that.

I turned back to Caleb. "That'd be great."

We walked back to our respective vehicles. Beck and I hugged, promising to talk Sunday afternoon, and then I got in Caleb's big truck and we left.

"That was fun," he said.

"It was," I agreed. "But I'm sorry about Ashley. She thinks every guy belongs to her."

"Ah," he replied in understanding. "Well, she doesn't own me, does she?"

"Nope." I popped the 'p'. "You're mine."

I didn't know where the boldness was coming from, but I decided I liked it.

_**~Knowing~**_

**Beck's POV **(13)

I couldn't believe what I had seen on Caleb's wrist. Friend, my butt. Why was Maggie hanging out with an Ace?

I'd known Maggie since we were two. There was only one reasonable and possible answer:

My best friend had been imprinted on by an Ace. And from the look of his tattoo, he was a Jacobson.

All the signs were there: her slightly-needy expression, the way she kept clutching his bare arm, the way she looked at him. It was obvious, to me, at least. And when Ashley had shown up and started talking, she'd looked ready to slap the make-up right off the witch's face. Which was a pretty normal reaction, but this time Maggie looked like she might actually do it.

I didn't understand why this wasn't all over the news. It always was; imprinting was a huge thing to Aces.

There was only one thing for me to do. I texted my mom that'd I'd be a few minutes late, and turned my car toward the news station.

_**~Knowing~**_

**So? How was that? Here are the notes for this chapter:**

(1) Ritter's Frozen Custard is a place around where I used to live in Michigan. I think it's local.  
>(2) Exactly what my actual Government teacher used to do.<br>(3) Maggie mentions her "cheap Motorola cell phone" in Significance, when Caleb gives her a new iPhone at the airport (I think it was an iPhone).  
>(4) Of course he'd be on speed-dial one. He's more likely to freak out and speed on the road to get to Maggie than her dad. No offence to Jim.<br>(5) Think about it: it's the middle of the school day and Maggie calls. Who wouldn't freak out and think something's wrong?  
>(6) Repeat from chapter 5.<br>(7) What Ritter's looks like, pretty much. White building with a blue roof.  
>(8) I'd stay out of it, too. Beck can be a bit vicious sometimes.<br>(9) Ashley hates Maggie and Beck. She refuses to call them by their preferred names, just to tick them off.  
>(10) My older sister actually knew a girl named Ashley Slater (changed the name a bit) who was a total fake, if you know what I mean.<br>(11) At my old school, you could only go to prom as a freshman and sophomore if you have a junior or senior date. Seems to me like Ashley wouldn't have too much trouble getting an upperclassman to take her.  
>(12) We used to do Family Night at my house. We sort of still do, although now it's just eating homemade pizza in the living room while watching some show in TV.<br>(13) I won't be doing other POVs often, if at all. This was a special circumstance.

**Okay, so I hope you enjoyed. I'd really appreciate if you'd review. Please?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:  
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"_Maggie. Wake up,_" a sweet voice said in my ear.

I blinked slowly and sat up, turning to Caleb, who lay behind me on the couch.

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty," he said, smiling cheekily. (1)

I frowned. "I am nothing like that blonde idiot," I protested. (2)

He studied me. "You're right. You're more of a Belle."

I gave him a confused look. "And how do you know the Disney Princesses?"

He returned my look with one that said _come on_. "I live in the same house as an eight-year-old," he said. "Believe me, I've watched my fair share of Disney. And you are Belle. In appearance, at least."

"And what am I otherwise?"

"With your personality, I'd say you're Cinderella. You're willing to take on a lot of responsibility at once, without much complaint. And you're not like a ton of other girls, who only care about clothes and other material things. So, yeah, I'd say you're exactly like Cinderella."

"Except I'm terrified of mice."

"Really? I'd never have guessed that about you. Well, you learn something new every day." He grinned.

I laughed and shoved him playfully. "Whatever."

We got off the couch and headed into the kitchen, where my dad was at the stove. When he turned around, I was pleasantly surprised to see a plate of French Toast on the counter.

"Morning," Dad greeted before gesturing to the table. "Sit down. Food'll be done in a minute."

Caleb and I sat at the table and spooned some sliced fruit into little fruit bowls.

The TV was on, turned to the news. Suddenly, the image on the screen caused me to drop my spoon. I snatched up the remote and turned the volume up.

"... And in more recent news, here's something we haven't heard about in a while; an imprint! That's right, Tennessee. Two days ago Caleb Jacobson imprinted on a human girl named Maggie Masters. Maggie is a senior at Cannon County High School (3). We're here live outside her house in Auburntown."

My eyes widened and met Caleb's.

"I swear it wasn't me. Or my family," he said. "I made sure no one said anything to anyone else. They would never do this."

I turned my gaze to Dad.

"Don't look at me. Have you told anyone else?"

"No! I said I wanted to wait, to take time. Who would know -" I cut myself off.

"What?" Caleb asked.

"Yesterday after school, at Ritter's. Ashley sat right next to you." My face hardened. "That -"

"Okay, calm down," Caleb said, grabbing my hand to soothe me. "We'll deal with her later. Right now, the only option for us is to go outside and talk to them."

I sighed but realized he was right. "Okay. Let's go." I walked toward the door.

"Um, Mags?" Dad said.

"What?"

"You're in your pajamas."

_~Knowing~_

Ten minutes later I was dressed. (4) I had put on a black lace tee with black roses, paired with denim shorts. Caleb had slipped on a pair of khaki shorts and a striped polo shirt. We stood before the front door, hands clasped between us.

"Ready?" Caleb asked.

I took a deep breath. "Ready."

Caleb opened the door and we exited the house into chaos.

There were several cameras all over the front yard. I counted at least five different news stations. As soon as we set foot outside, everyone snapped their heads up and scrambled to their feet. Surprisingly, tiny Mandy Lee from Channel 3 (5) reached us first.

"Maggie, why did you wait so long to tell about this amazing event?" she asked, shoving her microphone in my face.

"That was actually Caleb's idea," I replied, glancing at him.

Mandy turned to him, expectant.

"When Maggie and I imprinted, it came as a complete surprise. We were both shocked: me because I knew I'd found my soul mate, and Maggie because, well, this usually doesn't happen with humans. We wanted some time to fully realize the amazing thing that's happened to us. So, we waited."

Mandy wasted no time moving on. "How did you meet?"

Caleb smiled. "That's the amazing part of our story. Two days ago, I was on a walk, but I was so distracted that I wasn't paying attention to much. But Maggie was.

She had been walking behind me, and when I suddenly stepped out into the path of a speeding truck, she yanked me back and saved my life."

Mandy was silent for a moment before continuing. "So you two didn't know each other?"

He shook his head. "Although I wish we had."

"Maggie, what is it like for you to know you have a soul mate?"

I thought for a second. "Well, I definitely never thought it could happen. I'd heard it was possible with humans, but you never think of it happening to you. And yet, here I am, with a significant. It's just... amazing." _Wow, way to make a lame ending._

"For both of you: what are your future plans?"

Caleb gestured for me to go first.

"Well, I'm a senior in high school, and I plan on going to college next year. Other than that, my future is pretty much open to whatever Caleb and I decide."

"Same for me," Caleb said. "Except for the high school part. I'm a sophomore in college right now, though I'm considering online courses so I can stay close to Maggie."

"Maggie, what do you think of the Jacobson clan?" Dang, this lady wasted no time.

"I haven't met them yet, actually. I had school tomorrow and didn't have time afterwards. But soon."

"Have you met anyone other than Caleb?"

"Yes. The day we imprinted, I met five of his family members."

"After spending time with Caleb, how would you say Aces differ from humans?"

That made me pause. "Honestly, there really isn't a difference. Aces don't date, of course, but I think that's pretty much it. It seems to me that their families are very tight-knit. But they really are human. They're just a bit different."

"Caleb: what abilities do you hope you and Maggie receive?"

"Well, that's a tricky question. See, no two abilities are alike. There's never been two Aces with the same ability. So, really, they could be anything. Maybe even something that's never been heard of."

Apparently, that was the end of Mandy's questioning, though not the end of our camera time. The other four reporters proceeded to ask almost the exact same questions, with little variation. Finally we managed to sate everyone's curiosity and made our way back inside.

I let out a huge sigh of relief and leaned against the door. "That was torture."

"You're fine," Caleb reasoned.

"And now everyone at school is going to be all over me and wanting to hang out just so they can meet a real Ace."

"You'll be fine. Beck is your best friend, and from what I've gathered, she doesn't take people's crap. Just stick by her. Actually, I'm going to call her later. I'm appointing her your new bodyguard."

I gave Caleb a look. "Bodyguard? Really?"

"Well, if you _want_ to be attacked by a mob of girls..."

I nodded. "Good point."

We sat down to eat our lukewarm breakfast. Dad had already left for work, slipping out the back and opting to take a bus instead of his car. "Coward," I muttered when I read the note.

Halfway through eating, I sensed Caleb's eyes on me.

"What?" I asked.

"You're not just Cinderella," he said. "You're Merida, too."

"_You_ saw Brave?" I asked, staring at him incredulously.

He shrugged. "What can I say? Maria loves princesses."**  
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***Hides behind hands* How was that? I know it's pretty short, but I wanted to give you guys something.  
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**I know I've been AWOL lately, but life has been giving me a hassle lately. If you want the full explanation, check out my profile.  
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**Also, good news: I've started beta reading!  
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**Okay, not actually _started_, because I haven't gotten any stories yet. But I have a beta profile. If you have any questions or want me to take a look at your story, feel free to PM me.  
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**Now on to the notes!**

(1) My dad says this to me all the time when I won't wake up. He thinks he's hilarious.  
>(2) I don't really think Sleeping Beauty is an idiot. But Maggie just woke up. I'm always snappy when I wake up.<br>(3) I looked up towns and schools in Tennessee and that's what I found.  
>(4) You would get dressed that fast, too, if there were news people outside your house.<br>(5) Refer to chapter 1 if you don't know who she is.

Hopefully the next update will come soon, but don't hold me to it.

**Next up: Maggie meets the Jacobsons!  
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**Review please!  
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**P.S. If you've read the Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima, PLEASE check out my two-shot, _A Warrior Made, A Warrior Remains_. It's about Ellen. Thank you!**


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